Chemical Tools to Probe and Identify Interactions of Bacterial Glycans

The cell envelope of bacteria is coated with an array of glycans that are poised to engage carbohydrate-binding proteins, including antibodies and lectins, on host cells. The interactions between bacterial glycans and host cell receptors ultimately underpin downstream responses, tipping the balance toward symbiosis or disease. Bacterial glycans are challenging to study due to their complex structures and the transient nature of their interactions with carbohydrate-binding proteins. However, an array of chemical biology tools has been developed to ease the study of bacterial glycans and their binding to proteins on host cells. This review highlights chemical approaches that can be used to better understand the engagement of bacterial glycans with cognate receptors, as well as burgeoning strategies to delineate the interactions of mammalian glycans that have the potential to be translated for the study of bacterial glycans. Ultimately, these tools will help shed light on the full landscape of cell–cell communication mediated by bacterial glycans.